Overview & Reviews

The Saturn brand, which was part of General Motors, has been discontinued as of the 2009 model year. Though popular in its early years, Saturn suffered from poor sales and was shuttered as part of GM's bankruptcy reorganization.

Despite its sad end, Saturn started with a bright future. After losing market share to Japanese imports during the '80s, General Motors launched Saturn, a new division that began selling small, low-priced cars in 1990. The division promoted itself as "different," with Saturn dealers offering no-haggle pricing and friendly customer service.

Saturn made its debut with the S Series line of vehicles. Available in sedan, coupe and wagon configurations, these Saturns differentiated themselves from other GM products with all-new platforms and flexible plastic panels meant to resist denting. Additionally, the brand was granted its own plant, with all Saturns being built at a dedicated facility in Spring Hill, Tennessee. These first Saturns weren't exactly built to burn rubber; they were powered by engines that offered from 85-124 horsepower. The payoff, though, was that these were among the most fuel-efficient vehicles of their day, offering up to 40 miles per gallon (when equipped with a manual transmission).

Just after the brand's conception, GM boasted that Saturn vehicles would benefit from rapid evolution, but in the early years, this wasn't the case. The brand's vehicles saw only one redesign in their first decade of existence. The revamp took place in the mid-'90s, and for the most part, it was only skin deep. Exteriors were spruced up and interior room saw a slight increase.

The Saturn brand enjoyed some success in its earliest years, fueled by buyers who were in love with its unique approach to customer relations that included "no-haggle" pricing. By the turn of the century, though, the novelty had worn off. With dated platforms and a limited range of products, the marque was neglected by GM, and disappointing sales figures showed that buyers had taken note and chosen to spend their dollars elsewhere.

GM responded by ramping up its commitment to the Saturn brand. In 2000, it rolled out the L Series; sharing a platform and an engine with the Opel Vectra (one of GM's European products) the sedan was the opening salvo in GM's ultimately futile fight to resuscitate the struggling brand. An SUV, the Vue, was unveiled, as was a minivan, the Relay. The S Series was replaced by the lamentable Ion, which was available as a sedan and a coupe. GM also added a hybrid to the lineup, with the introduction of the Saturn Vue Green Line.

Later, Saturn included the sporty Sky roadster, the midsize Aura sedan, the compact second-generation Vue crossover and the full-size Outlook crossover. For a brief period, there was also the European-sourced Astra compact hatchback.

Despite the increase in product quality, however, the Saturn brand effectively collapsed in 2009. As part of GM's bankruptcy proceedings, Saturn was offered up for sale. Initially, it was believed that the Penske Corporation would take over Saturn. But the deal fell through at the last minute, thereby spelling the final end for GM's import-fighting experiment.

User Reviews:

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  2005 ION 3 Great Car - 2005 Saturn ION
  By James L - June 6 - 6:13 am

  My ION has been trouble free after 6000 miles and rides great. Very quiet at idle/cruising and handles very well. The seats are quite comfortable. I have the 160 watt stereo with XM radio and it is worth every penny. I waited for the 2005 because I had heard of all the technical improvments being made. The effort Saturns engineers put into making this car quiet is very apparent. I would definitely buy this car again.

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  The Right Choice - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Billy - June 5 - 9:10 am

  We had test-driven several different cars ranging from the Scion XB to the Mini Cooper. Mini Cooper didnt have much cargo room and was a little more than we were looking to spend; Scion was great with fuel mileage and price but lacked cruise control and had a weak engine and not as much cargo as the VUE. The VUE answered all of our questions and met all our criteria for a new car: price, fuel economy, reliability, cargo space, striking visually. Friendly, knowledgeable, non-pushy salespeople was a definite bonus. Great car buying experience.

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  Beyond Expectations - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Jerre - June 2 - 7:33 am

  We purchased a Saturn VUE in December of 2005 and have driven it about 1500 miles. It has been exciting to drive with the Honda V-6 engine and is very comfortable for a 250# man to drive and sit for long periods of time. The mileage is amazing, it gets 22 mpg in town and about 28mpg on the road at 65 miles per hour with the cruise control on. The back seats are a little tricky to put up and down, you have to be a little patient with the back seat lever. One great little add is the Organizer that pops up to form two plastic bins to put your groceries into. We love this SUV and it suits our lifestyle to a tee. We owned a bigger Ford SUV for 10 years and we like this one better.

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  Impressive what theyve done - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Taxman - May 31 - 12:20 am

  I had a 2002 SL2, 5speed manual and traded it in on this car. Nicely optioned out with a "special value package" that I recommend. Overall the car is vastly improved over the previous model. An excellent daily commuter. Long trip this weekend, 450 miles, revealed no weaknesses. It is comfortable for three hour interstate drives, gets nearly 35mpg, has very good seat support. Its quiet, easily cruises at 75mph with no bad vibrations, and no undue harshness. Instrument dash "pod" is quirky but quickly adapted to. Excellent sight lines. Large trunk. Zero % three year financing, FREE 5year/60K BtoB extended warranty and $1,000 rebate/OnStar cash. Whats not to like in a $15,000 car?

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  Luv it!! - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By LuvPony - May 30 - 2:00 am

  I love this vehicle! 28 mpg, plenty of pickup, and I find it extremely comfortable. My son says it is like an optical illusion, looks tiny on the outside but plenty of room on the inside. I can park it anywhere, but the wide stance feels very secure. Yes, the engine is somewhat loud, but I just turn up the stereo! The base stereo and tape/CD is just fine.Sure, with the new type of transmission you are taking a chance as with any new technology, but that is what warranties are for. For me, I thought the RAV4 was incredibly uncomfortable and way too tiny inside. I pack 4 dogs a kid and groceries with no problem.

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  Hard to beat - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By E Louison - May 28 - 9:13 pm

  After 7000 miles, this is the most complete truck I have ever owned. Every feature is well thought out, and the quality is second to none. GM has beaten the worlds best manufacturers in the completeness of this vehicle!

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  2nd VUE, So far, so good. - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By phirn - May 28 - 1:06 pm

  This is our 2nd VUE. First (02 4cyl, 5 spd) was plagued with problems. Transmission, suspension, and A/C failures. Traded up to 03 V-6, AWD. Stuck with Saturn because we knew they had a good product. Drove several Saturn loaner cars for a week or two at a time while our VUE was being "serviced", and they all performed flawlessly. No serious problems with this VUE, only minor service needed. My wife is very comfortable driving it. Likes the good visibility and handling. Feels very safe in it, and also when our teenage daughters are driving it. The stock Bridgestone tires are great for about 20K, and then they go to trash. Roof rack is great when traveling.

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  great - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By castff43 - May 27 - 4:10 pm

  come on people you get what you pay for its natural cheeper but very dependable SUV every one who cant stand it and has one get at me cause i will be happy to take it off your hands if the price is right

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  Lots of little problems - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Craig - May 26 - 2:30 pm

  Bought our 03 4cyl FWD new in Mar 03. Traded it in Dec 05 with 30,000 miles. Ok acceleration for a 4 cyl although gas mileage was disappointing (20 city/25hwy@75mph). CVT transmission was always sluggish/erratic and two different Saturn dealers couldnt notice any problems, even with the letter about 6yr/75K CVT trans warranty due to problems. Overall noisy powertrain/ride and lots of little problems. Probably had 8 different warranty claims (rattling spare tire jack on delivery, failed engine ignition module, rattling exhaust shields, sun visor that flopped down, broken seat belt holders, etc) Traded for a Ford Freestar that has similar gas mileage, more room and much quieter ride.

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  What a Great Car - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By Lee - May 25 - 12:00 am

  What a great car! I purchased a 2006 Nissan Altima in December of 2006 then saw the Aura. It was head and shoulders above my Altima and better than the 07 Altima. The Nissan went good-bye immediately. My Aura is smooth, quiet, and roomy. The styling stands out, even earning a "Cool" from my teen-age son. The build quality is better than the Nissans I looked at as well as Camry, Accord, and Passat, something Im reading in all the reviews Ive seen as well. Saturn has a winner in the Aura. I feel like Im driving a much more expensive car than what I paid for (base with no options for $20,000). Anyone looking for a classy mid-size sedan? Aura is the real deal!